Rooted Sangha: The Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 2 | Verses 1-12
- sjholisticyoga
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
This week in sangha, we continued discussing The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living by Eknath Easwaran. Each week, I will attempt to summarise the parts of the book we discuss. Please refer to https://www.sjholisticyoga.co.uk/post/what-is-the-bhagavad-gita if you need a grounding in what The Bhagavad Gita itself is.
When Urgency Is Not Truth
Chapter 2 of the Gita begins not with instruction, but with a pause.
Arjuna has collapsed. Chapter 1 ends in paralysis. And then, crucially, nothing is rushed.
Krishna looks upon Arjuna with compassion. Not irritation. Not urgency. Not “we need to get on with this.” The battlefield is waiting, but Krishna is not hurried. This matters.
So much of our suffering arises not from what we feel, but from the belief that it must be resolved immediately. That we must decide, fix, explain, or act now, before we are ready.
The Gita quietly disagrees.
Compassion Before Correction
Krishna’s first words do not solve Arjuna’s dilemma. Instead, they name his state.
He calls it asvargya and anārya — not as moral judgement, but as orientation.
SRI KRISHNA
This despair and self-pity in a time of crisis is mean and unworthy of you, Arjuna. How have you fallen into a state so far from the path to liberation?
It does not become you to yield to this weakness. Arise with a brave heart, and destroy the enemy.
Easwaran makes it clear that Krishna is saying:
This response does not lead you forward.This is not arising from your deepest self.
The Tyranny of “Now”
From verse 2.4 onwards, Arjuna speaks again, and his words are saturated with urgency.
ARJUNA
How can I ever bring myself to fight against Bhishma and Drona, who are worthy of reverence? How can I, Krishna?
Certainly, it would be better to spend my life begging than to kill these great and worthy souls; if I killed them, every pleasure I found would be tainted.
I don't even know which would be better, for us to conquer them or for them to conquer us. The sons of Dhritarashtra have confronted us, but why would we care to live if we kill them?
My will is paralysed, and I am utterly confused. Tell me which is the better path for me. Let me be your disciple. I have fallen at your feet; give me instruction.
This is a deeply human moment. When we are frightened or grieving, we often believe that speed will save us.
Tell me immediately what is best.
I cannot see clearly.
I am overwhelmed.
But Krishna does something different. He slows the entire conversation down.
The Teacher Appears When Urgency Falls Away
One of the most overlooked moments in the Gita happens quietly, between Chapters 1 and 2. Until now, Krishna has been present, but he has not spoken. He drives the chariot. He witnesses. He waits.
Only when Arjuna stops arguing, stops justifying, and admits “I do not know” does the teaching begin. This matters deeply.
In 2.7, Arjuna says:
I have fallen at your feet; give me instruction.
Easwaran points out that this is the true beginning of the path to self-realisation. Not the battlefield. Not the philosophy. But the moment when urgency gives way to humility.
The teacher's role here is not to provide quick answers. It is to hold a wider perspective until the student is ready to see it.
Time as Teacher, Not Enemy
Verse 2.11 marks a turning point.
SRI KRISHNA
You speak sincerely, but your sorrow has no cause; the wise grieve neither for the living nor for the dead.
This is not dismissal. It is a widening of perspective. Then comes the teaching on time and continuity:
SRI KRISHNA
There has never been a time when you and I and the kings gathered here have not existed, nor will there be a time when we will cease to exist.
Easwaran emphasises this gently but firmly: the deepest truth is not urgent. Truth is patient. Reality is spacious. The Self is not panicked. When we remember this, urgency begins to loosen its grip.
A Yogic Reframe of Urgency
Read this way, the opening of Chapter 2 is not a call to decisive action, but a call to right timing.
Krishna does not deny action. But he refuses action that arises from:
panic
collapse
false responsibility
or the fear of disappointing others
Instead, he restores Arjuna to a longer view - one in which life is not reduced to this single moment, this single choice, this single mistake.
Journal/Thinking prompts
When things feel overwhelming, how do I typically respond? In my body? My breath? My thoughts?
Where in my life might I be acting from fear/urgency rather than deeper values or truth?
How does my inner-nobility feel when it is present?
What helps me remember who I really am underneath the noise and the urgency?
How do I feel about the idea of “not knowing” — does it feel unsafe, or quietly relieving?
Giving Back
After covering room and fuel costs, all proceeds from Rooted are being saved to support a local cause, to be chosen together later this year - as a small act of Bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion in action.
On 21st September, we made our first donation (£110) to Kettering Samaritans.
On 23rd December, we donated £100 to Johnny's Happy Place, a wonderful mental health support cafe in Kettering.
We agreed that our next beneficiary will be The Green Patch, Kettering. There is currently £70 in the pot!
Going Forward
Next week, we will continue Chapter 2. If you would like to join us in person, do get in touch or book online. If you would like to buy the book, click the image below for options.
Please Note:
My thoughts draw on teachings from the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred text within Hindu philosophy. I share my reflections as a yoga practitioner and teacher, not as a scholar or religious authority. My intention is to explore how these teachings can be lived and contemplated within contemporary practice, and always with the utmost respect for their cultural and spiritual roots.
With love,
Vicki x
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